April Food Festivals

by Jose Ralat Maldonado, Posted Apr 1st 2011 @ 12:00PM

variety of mushrooms Photo: Alamy

Spring has sprung and with it a slew of festivals that even April showers can't hinder. Among the best this month are an Appalachian mushroom festival, a firey eating contest, and a celebration of beer and cheese.

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ, Cary, NC, April 5-6: Pig pickings are a culinary rite of passage in the Carolinas, and this traveling festival is bringing one to the Triangle area. Admission gets attendees a souvenir glass, unlimited tastings of the more than 60 beers and 40 bourbons as well as BBQ not restricted to pulled pork. There will be briskets, ribs, sausages and more. For those interested in a 'cue education, there will be seminars and lectures. The only thing missing to perfect the fete would be bluegrass acts and eating contests. Oh, wait! There's will be those, too!

Pear Blossom Festival, Medford, Ore., April 8-9: This festival, now in its 58th year, includes Pear-A-Fare, the opening event that pairs food and beverages from local artisans. Also part of the celebration is Dare-To-Pear, for which the public may visit downtown business to sample pear recipes paired with local wines. Square dancers, a race, a ballroom dancing competition, and a stamp show round out the weekend.

Prairie Dog Chili Cookoff, Grand Prairie, Tex., April 9: While this 36th annual competition is ostensibly centered around the Lone Star State's official dish, the real draw is the jalapeño-soaked pickled quail egg eating contest. This insanity involves consuming as many fireballs as one can in 60 seconds. It's a must-see if you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Earth Day Wine & Food Festival, Templeton, Calif., April 15-17: The Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery will be the site of much merriment and a focus on seasonal eating and locavorism this month. Visitors will be able to interact with the farmers who have provided the comestibles for the weekend celebration of the culinary here-and-now. Chefs and vendors will also be hand with more than the 200 wines and dishes. Bonus: The silent auction benefs Central Coast Vineyard Team's sustainable agriculture research.

Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine & Cheese Festival, La Crosse, Wisc., April 23: If you're reading this blog, you know that life is nothing without beer, wine and cheese, and no one knows this better than Wisconsinites. Visitors to this festival in La Crosse can sample more than 200 types of beer, approximately 45 different wines -- and mounds and mounds of cheese. There will also be live cooking, live music, and homebrewing demos.

Mountain Mushroom Festival, Irvine, Ky., April 30-May 1: The last weekend in April will bring out fungus lovers from all around, many of whom will participate in the festival's cooking competition. There will also be a mushroom market, a car show, and a 5K run.

Filed Under: Events
Tags: chili cookoffs, featured, food festivals

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-01-2011 @10:15PM T said... The Beer, Bourbon & BBQ festival looks to be in August, not April. Right?
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4-02-2011 @9:07AM Alyson said... yea! Slashfood! It's in August! Thanks for getting me totally pumped for nothing!

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4-03-2011 @2:32PM Jenny said... Wow! A cool idea Http://www.roadtripsinamerica.com would be to hit every one of these during a Road Trip!!

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4-03-2011 @3:30PM Pat in New Orleans said... Next weekend (April 8-10) we have the French Quarter Festival. Free music at multiple stages, and dozens of food booths featuring some of New Orleans' best restaurant . Check out www.fqfi.org for details.

Starting on April 29, we have the Grandaddy Festival of all. The New Orleans Jazz Festival. Literally thousands of performers over two weekends, including some major names. Here is the food section: http://www.nojazzfest.com/food/

Come pass a good time y'all!!!!!
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4-03-2011 @5:25PM AUGUST CAL said... HEY GUYS
YOU FORGOT THE AVACADO FESTIVAL IN CARPINTERIA CALIF,IN THE EARLY FALL
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4-03-2011 @6:19PM klm said... Ummm, they didn't forget it since this article is suppose to be about APRIL food festivals

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4-03-2011 @6:14PM Anita said... There's the Ragin Cajun Crawfish Festival in Memphis, Tenn. also
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4-03-2011 @7:49PM Dad said... You have the wrong month stated in the article being held in Cary NC. It should say August instead of April.
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4-03-2011 @9:48PM KITZER said... It seems the 'writers' ??? do not know the difference between April and August!! And they are getting paid?????
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4-03-2011 @9:53PM KITZER said... I wonder if the date for the Bluffs Beer, Wine and Cheese in La Crosse, Wisconsin is also wrong. It sounds like it should be held in August also!!!
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4-04-2011 @4:57AM dal said... not completely sure about the date but the Urbana oyster festival in early fall is a great place to be in Virgina.over 101 ways to have oyster, my personal favorite is bbq fried oysters.
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